integrating music and movement into an early …

INTEGRATING MUSIC AND MOVEMENT INTO AN EARLY CHILDHOOD

EDUCATION CURRICULUM

A CREATIVE PROJECT

SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE

MASTER OF ARTS

BY

BRITTANY GARRISON

DR. JILL WALLS - ADVISOR

BALL STATE UNIVERSITY

MUNCIE, INDIANA

MAY 2013

ii

ABSTRACT

CREATIVE PROJECT: Integrating Music and Movement into an Early Childhood

Education Curriculum

STUDENT: Brittany Garrison DEGREE: Master of Arts COLLEGE: Applied Sciences and Technology DATE: May 4, 2013

PAGES: 68

Research suggests that children’s participation in creative movement and music

instruction has the potential to improve their memory, ability to express themselves, and

the quality of their relationships, above and beyond the benefits of standard preschool

instruction. Moreover, an integration of music and movement into standard preschool

curriculum provides children with another outlet to express their emotions and creativity.

This creative project highlights the benefits of adapting an established preschool

curriculum to include music and dance for children ages 3-5. By adapting an established

curriculum to include creative movement and music, children will have a better

understanding of the arts while learning in each of the seven areas of development. A

series of 28 lessons were created for the following seven areas of development identified

in the Creative Curriculum for Preschool: English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies,

Physical Education/Health, Music, and Visual Arts. With each lesson, I provide detailed

instructions for executing the activity and how each activity corresponds to the

Foundations to the Indiana Academic Standards for Young Children from Birth to Age 5.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... iii LIST OF APPENDICES ......................................................................................................v CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................7 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................7 Purpose Statement ....................................................................................................7 Rationale ..................................................................................................................8 Assumptions .............................................................................................................8 Definitions................................................................................................................9 Summary ..................................................................................................................9 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ....................................................................11 Introduction .......................................................................................................11 Benefits of Dance and Music for Preschool Children ...........................................12 Cognitive Development ............................................................................12 Pretend Imagery .............................................................................14 Social Development ..................................................................................15 Physical Development ..............................................................................18 Emotion Regulation ...................................................................................19 Coping Skills and Resilience ....................................................................21 Summary ....................................................................................................21 CHAPTER 3: METHODS ................................................................................................23

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Introduction .......................................................................................................23 Process for Completion ..........................................................................................23 Challenges ..............................................................................................................24 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS ...................................................................................................26 Introduction .......................................................................................................26 Finished Project .....................................................................................................26 CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION .............................................................................................28 Introduction .......................................................................................................28 Body of Knowledge ...............................................................................................28 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .........30 Introduction .......................................................................................................30 Summary of Project ...............................................................................................30 Recommendations ..................................................................................................31 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................32 Appendix A: English Lessons ............................................................................................34 Appendix B: Mathematics Lessons ..................................................................................39 Appendix C: Science Lessons ..........................................................................................44 Appendix D: Social Studies Lessons ................................................................................49 Appendix E: Physical Ed/Health Lessons .........................................................................54 Appendix F: Music Lessons .............................................................................................59 Appendix G: Visual Arts Lessons ....................................................................................64

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LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: English Lessons ............................................................................................29 Appendix B: Mathematics Lessons ..................................................................................34 Appendix C: Science Lessons ..........................................................................................39 Appendix D: Social Studies Lessons ................................................................................44 Appendix E: Physical Ed/Health Lessons .........................................................................49 Appendix F: Music Lessons .............................................................................................54 Appendix G: Visual Arts Lessons ....................................................................................59

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Preschool children have a lot of energy, emotions, and feelings, and some

scholars have suggested that preschool children have limited outlets to express their

emotions or explain how they are feeling (Cole, Dennis, Smith-Simon, & Cohen, 2009).

Preschool teachers are faced with the challenge of developing strategies to

simultaneously address children’s behavior problems and promote positive self-

expression in addition to everyday activities geared toward promoting positive physical,

social, emotional, and cognitive development. There are many positive effects of adding

music and movement into a child’s typical day in preschool. By integrating music and

dance into a preschool curriculum, teachers would be able to teach children how to

express themselves in a way that focuses on promoting pro-social skills and creativity

(Sylva et al., 2007). In addition, some research suggests that activities involving dance

and music could help children express themselves in a positive manner and help teachers

by reducing behavioral problems in the preschool classroom. However, dance is not

included in many preschool curricula. This creative project highlights the potential

physical, cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of dance and music for preschool-age

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children and provides an adaptation of an established preschool curriculum that includes

dance and music-inspired activities.

Problem

Energetic children are often less focused in school and, as a consequence, tend to

get into trouble more frequently (Jeloudar & Yunus, 2011). Children need appropriate

outlets to express this energy in a positive and creative way (Poddiakov, 2011). Two

appropriate outlets that should be considered are dance and music. Engaging preschoolers

in dance and music allows them to gain experience in many different areas of physical

development as well as promoting pro-social skills and positive peer relationships

(Lorenzo-Lasa, 2007). Most early childhood education provides aim to provide children

with daily learning and play opportunities to enhance their development in multiple

domains. However, few preschool programs include dance in their curriculum (Sylva et

al., 2007). If dance was included into the preschool curriculum, perhaps children might

be better able to express themselves and use their energy in a more positive manner in

addition to benefitting from the physical and cognitive challenges that dance and music

can provide.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to provide teachers with the resources to incorporate

music and movement into an established preschool curriculum, and allow them to use

these resources to enhance their classroom-learning environment.

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Rationale

This project is important because preschool children need a positive way to

express themselves and they are still in the process of learning and refining their social

and emotional skills. The preschool years are characterized by high energy levels, and

misdirected energy can be disruptive in the classroom, which may in turn undermine

learning. Children who have the opportunity for music and movement incorporated into

their daily routine have fewer behavior problems and are better able to express

themselves without needing discipline (Jeloudar & Yunus, 2011). Dance and music have

also been shown to help children control their bodies and their actions, make them more

spatially aware of their surroundings and better able to understand the importance of

appropriately expressing their emotions (Lundy & McGuffin, 2005). Making music and

dance more central in a preschool curriculum has the potential to reduce behavior

problems and the need for discipline in the classroom setting.

Assumptions

The researcher makes the following assumptions in the implementation of the

study and in the interpretation of the data:

1. The creative movement and music that is incorporated throughout the day

in a preschool classroom will help children behave better in school. This will

teach body awareness, spatial concepts, and allow children to express their

emotions in a more positive manner.

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2. Children will be able to move, create, explore, learn, and enjoy their time

with friends as they listen to instructions and will get excited about the new

things that they are learning.

Definitions

For the purpose of this study, the following definitions will be used:

1. Behavior: Observable physical activity in a human.

2. Expression: The act of expressing or setting forth in words. Also, a

manner or form in which a thing is expressed in words.

3. Feelings: The general state of consciousness considered independently of

particular sensations, thoughts, etc.

4. Dance: to move one’s feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of

steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.

5. Preschool children: children between infancy and school age, normally of

the 3-5 year old age group.

6. Curriculum: the regular plan of a particular course of study in a school, in

this instance, preschool.

7. Music: vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody,

or harmony

Summary

Preschool children are often energetic and need appropriate outlets to express this

energy in a positive and creative way (Poddiakov, 2011). By allowing children to express

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themselves through creative movement and music, they will be better able to express

their emotions in a positive manner and may require less discipline and redirection from

their teachers. With a dance and music-inspired curriculum, children will learn

appropriate ways to express themselves in the classroom via music and dance. Integrating

dance and music into a preschool curriculum may offer cognitive social, emotional, and

physical benefits above and beyond the standard preschool curriculum.

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE


dance into a preschool curriculum and allow them to use these resources to enhance their

classroom learning environment. This chapter will present a review of the literature to: 1)

define the developmental stages tasks of the preschool child; 2) examine the importance

of dance and music to preschoolers; and 3) describe the potential impact of the inclusion

of dance and music in a preschoolers’ weekly curriculum.

Dance classes allow children the opportunity to take part in a fun and exciting

activity that generally stimulates behaviors associated with positive self-expression,

muscle development, regulation of emotions, heightened communication skills,

heightened memory, greater coping mechanism, and opportunities for imagination and

creativity that children without dance instruction. It is important for children to be able to

engage in activities that will stimulate their brain and give them the tools they need to

succeed later in life (Hadders-Algra, 2005). At four years of age, a typically developing

child will be able to run, jump, climb stairs with alternating feet, throw a ball overhand,

trace a straight line, and use scissors (Hadders-Algra, 2005). As children grow older,

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they need more opportunities to play, exercise both fine and gross motor skills,

and appropriately express their emotions (Hadders-Algra, 2005).

Creativity is acknowledged as one facet of children’s cognitive development

(Podd’iakov, 2012). Creative children display excitement and a sense of wonder about

the world that they are a part of. The child’s inner world and entire personality is

influenced by their self-development and the creativity that they display. This will remain

a powerful source of the child’s full-fledged development for many years (Podd’iakov,

2012).

Benefits of Dance and Music for Preschool Children

Music education in the preschool and elementary years should not merely enable

children to experience and enjoy music, but it should also help develop children’s music

abilities, skills and knowledge (Denac, 2008). The level of expressing interest in music

activities and the level of development of music abilities are closely linked with

children’s first experience in music. The earlier children express an interest in music, or

are exposed to it, the more they are interested (Denac, 2008). When a child is able to

experience music at an early age, they are more likely to grow up listening to music and

wanting to create music than those children who do not have these early experiences

(Denac, 2008).

Cognitive Development

Studies have shown that children who have dance in their weekly curriculum

(compared to those who do not) are better able to concentrate and comprehend math,

science, and other areas of their school day (Chen & McNamee, 2011). Furthermore,

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children who are enrolled in a dance class or are able to have dance as part of their

weekly preschool curriculum have been shown to be better able to modify and

experiment with movement using creativity (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007). For

example, before executing any movement, the children can be asked “What does a

scissors look like?” Once the children have the image in their head, they are asked to use

their legs as “scissors.” During these activities, children use their memory and repetition

to make objects that they have seen previously. This additional help from dance allows

the children to understand things in their world better than those children without. These

exercises incorporate movement and posture while helping to bring something familiar

out that the children can remember (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007).

Younger children are unable to apply labels to unfamiliar objects when compared

to older children. Dance and music can help younger children develop a better memory

when they use the creative movement and imaginative process (Sacha & Russ, 2006).

The process of children’s memory reconciliation is similar to the process of applying the

name of the dance step to the novel step, and this is where the use of play as a teaching

tool might be most beneficial (Sacha & Russ, 2006). The play used in the dance class

setting is similar to gestures, as it incorporates whole-body movements in an imaginative

manner. In this way, play that incorporates dance and creative movement may help

younger children learn better (Sacha & Russ, 2006).

Research suggests that children who engage in activities such as dance and music

have been shown to be developmentally more advanced and to be better able to focus in

school than children who are not engaged in the arts (Sylva et al., 2007). Creative dance

is defined as the interpretation of a child’s ideas, feelings, and sensory impressions

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expressed symbolically in movement forms through unique uses of his or her body (Lobo

& Winsler, 2006). Children who have opportunities for creative movement are better able

to successfully negotiate interpersonal conflicts and are less likely to act out with others,

both during preschool and at home (Lobo & Winsler, 2006).

Children’s early experience with dance and music provides them with daily

learning and play opportunities aimed at enhancing their cognitive and social

development, which allows their minds to properly develop as they learn and grow

together (Sylva et al., 2007). High quality childcare and education enhances children’s

development because they are engaging in stimulating and cognitively facilitating

activities (Sylva et al., 2007).

Pretend Imagery

Pretend imagery, mental images that are products of the imagination, also plays a

role on how children learn dance in the preschool classroom (Sacha & Russ, 2006).

According to the dynamic systems theory, the gross motor development that children

learn through dance is highly dependent on a number of skills that are learned over time

(Sacha & Russ, 2006). Many movements learned in dance class are completely different

from what children know, requiring the children to rearrange their existing thoughts of

their motor skills to learn how to execute them (Sacha & Russ, 2006).

Preschool children’s expression, emotions, and behavior can all be affected by

being involved dance instruction during their week. Children who are enrolled in a dance

class, or who have dance in their preschool curriculum are more able to comprehend

these movements and show them to teachers, parents, and other children. Overall, those

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students who have dance classes during their week are at a higher level of emotional and

cognitive development than those children without these classes in their weekly schedule.

A “Movement Through Dance” program may include basic body awareness,

counting and rhythm, creative body movement, and language and emotional expression

(Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007). Through their participation, preschoolers are able to

share the dances and the different things that they learned throughout the classes by

putting on a dance show for their friends and family.

Extending the dance techniques with creative movement allows children to

modify those dance steps that they might already know, and make them into something to

express themselves more clearly (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007). Using creative

representations during “butterfly” exercises can help promote children’s imagination.

The children are encouraged to use their legs as butterfly wings. To encourage

imagination, the children are asked to flap their wings and bring their head down to

“hide” from the butterfly catcher! These imaginary concepts help to sustain the child’s

interest, and use of their creative thought (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007).

Social Development

Aggressive and out of control behaviors have been shown to be better controlled

with a dance and music program (Lundy & McGuffin, 2005). A study was conducted

using staff and children at a residential treatment center and day program. Children

participating were 3-12 years old with different diagnoses (e.g., Attention Deficit

Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, Autism, emotional disorders). The

study was conducted in three phases including an interview asking teachers how they felt

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creative movement and music could help in their classroom. The teachers then went to

training regarding how to integrate music and movement into their current curriculum.

After the teachers had the opportunity to implement their programs, data was gathered to

tell how well these programs helped children express themselves.

Results of this study suggested that the children had feelings of anger and fear

while being confronted by their teacher regarding their actions before dance instruction

was integrated into their daily activities. These actions included hitting, kicking, yelling,

or taking a toy away from another child. Feelings of anger and fear decreased after they

participated in the study. This study highlights the benefits of this dance instruction and

musical influences on the way children reacted to certain things. Dance and music have

been shown to help children control their bodies and their actions, make them more

spatially aware of their surroundings and better able to understand the importance of

appropriately expressing their emotions when dealing with other students and teachers

(Lundy & McGuffin, 2005).

Lobo and Winsler (2006) conducted a study to determine the effects of a creative

dance and movement program on the social competence of head start preschoolers.

Children were recruited from three classrooms, each with approximately 17 children and

two teachers. The children were divided into a control group and an experimental group.

The experimental group met twice a week for 35 minutes for dance sessions for eight

weeks. The control group went to the same room as the experimental group, yet they

simply played together with puzzles, games, blocks, balls, and manipulatives (dance and

music was not a part of the curriculum). Parents and teachers completed the Social

Competence Behavior Evaluation: Preschool Edition before and after the program. The

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results of this study showed that those children who participated in the dance program

had made significantly greater gains from pre test to post test on behavior problems and

social skills compared to the control group. Those children who were in the control group

had some differentiation between pre and post-tests, but children in the experimental

group had a larger significance in their scores.

The capacity for children to attain social goals, engage effectively in complex

interpersonal interaction, make and maintain friendships, gain entry to social groups and

achieve peer acceptance, is a vitally important domain of child development (Lobo &

Winsler, 2006). Adding dance and music to a child’s weekly preschool curriculum has

the potential to enhance these capabilities. Not only will children have more confidence

to deal with certain situations, but also they will be able to be socially aware and able to

maintain friendships longer (Lobo & Winsler, 2006).

Social interaction is a core element of movement and dance classes (Koff, 2000).

A child expressing his ideas and connecting with others through dance facilitates a

child’s ability to engage in social problem solving (Koff, 2000). When a child is in a

situation where they need to show effective communication skills, they can use the

relaxation techniques and group communication skills that they learned through their

dance and music instruction. Children who do not have the opportunity to participate in

dance classes have a more difficult time staying with a group, engaging with other

children, and having to have the teacher redirect them because of lack of concentration

(Koff, 2000). Children who participate in activities such as dance and music have a

greater ability to communicate with others, such as teachers, parents, and other students.

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They are more confident and are more willing to engage in social activities than those

children without opportunities such as these (Koff, 2000).

Movement is a physical means of expression and communication (Koff, 2000).

When movement becomes a dance form, the sensory, motor, cognitive, social and

emotional skills inherent in the experience can be facilitated as isolated skill. Through

these experiences, children connect movement, sensation, and action to self-awareness,

emotional response, social interaction, and cognitive focusing and attention (Koff, 2000).

A program that includes dance for preschoolers has the potential to facilitate various

skills areas simultaneously. Participating in dance classes with a group of children also

provides opportunities for social modeling and repetitive practice, which promotes motor

planning and sequencing skills (Koff, 2000).

Children’s communication is affected when they have the opportunity to have

dance in their preschool curriculum. Music and dance not only help a child’s emotion and

physical state, but it helps their communication skills. Children who have this opportunity

are better able to communicate throughout their whole life because of lack of anxiety.

This is the case because dance and music allows the children to express themselves easier

than they could without this instruction (Koff, 2000)

Physical Development

Children who are involved in dance classes have more opportunities to be creative

and express themselves than those children who do not participate in these activities.

Ballet, for example, requires preschoolers to use every major muscle group with a strong

emphasis on core strength and posture (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007). Ballet builds

stamina, tones muscles, and improves flexibility through stretching (Lorenzo-Lasa &

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Ideishi, 2007). In ballet, children are forced to creative mind-body connections in order to

execute the appropriate steps and positions demanded. Children who participate in a

ballet class dance to a musical score, which is taught in a very regimented, hierarchical

and organized system (Lorenzo-Lasa & Ideishi, 2007).

Chen and McNamee (2011) conducted a study to determine the effectiveness of

positive learning approaches on 92 children (50 girls; 42 boys) from four public schools

in a major metropolitan area. Of the 92 participants, 47 were pre-kindergartens and 45

were kindergartners. The measure of positive learning approaches was based on

children’s participation in seven activities, including reading books, drawing a self-

portrait, playing number games, and moving to music. Researches collected the data

during a 1-month period during the middle of the school year. Two researchers

independently scored 15% of children’s performances and rated their positive approach

to learning for each activity. Results indicated that positive learning approaches, such as

attentiveness and goal orientation, are associated with higher levels of early school

achievement in math and reading. Dance and music instruction helps to instill these traits

in the child because the activities require them to be focused and work toward a common

goal. Early childhood teachers recognize that children differ not only in what they know

and are learning but also in how they approach activities throughout the school day (Chen

and McNamee, 2011).

Emotion Regulation

Research suggests that young children’s involvement in dance and music can

facilitate the expression of emotion, emotion knowledge, and emotion regulation

strategies (Cole, Dennis, Smith-Simon, & Cohen, 2009). Cole et al. (2009) conducted a

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study to understand preschoolers' emotional regulation strategies. The researchers

recruited 116 children between the ages of 3 and 4 years through area preschools,

newspaper advertisements, and birth announcements in Pennsylvania. Parents received

details of the study and then scheduled a visit. Each child and mother spent

approximately one hour at a child study center on a single occasion. The session included

a warm-up period, administration of the strategy, understanding task, and a series of fun

and challenging tasks. Results indicated the 4-year-olds recognized and generated

strategies to cope with anger more frequently than 3-year-olds, but both groups generated

similar strategies for sadness.

Preschool-age children’s ability to verbally generate strategies for regulation

anger and sadness, and to recognize purported effective strategies for these emotions

were examined, and those with a dance background were better able to control and

express these types of emotions. Understanding one’s emotional life is believed to be a

central component of children’s socio-emotional competence and adjustment. This

understanding in early childhood has been associated with a child’s general socio-

emotional competence.

By the age of five, most typically developing children can identify emotions that

are brought on by challenging circumstances. Activities such as dance and music help

these emotions come out in young children (Cole et al., 2009). Teachers and parents are

better able to understand what their child is feeling once dance is included in their

curriculum because dance allows them to express themselves with more emotion and

confidence than those children who do not have dance in their weekly preschool activities

(Cole et at., 2009). Younger children often are unable to apply labels to unfamiliar

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objects as well as older children. Dance is one way younger children can learn to label

their feelings and adequately voice how they are feeling (Sacha & Russ, 2006).

Coping Skills and Resilience

According to stress and coping theorists, children’s perceptions of their

environment, whether the situation necessarily demands a stress response or not, will

directly influence their behavior (Robb et al., 2008). For example, when children perceive

their environment as stressful, a common reaction is to withdraw from the situation, a

behavior described as disengagement. Children who have dance included in their weekly

curriculum are more likely to perceive their environment as a safe and non-stressful place

(Robb et al., 2008). Evidence indicates the children who engage in dance are able to

understand that things are not always bad and that with help, they can accomplish their

dreams (Robb et al., 2008). Children who have had the experience learning and

performing dances are more confident and in turn, more willing to try new things in their

life (Robb et al., 2008).

Summary

The purpose of this project was to provide teachers with the resources to

incorporate dance and music into a preschool curriculum and allow them to use these

resources to enhance their classroom-learning environment. This chapter presented a

review of the literature to: 1) define the developmental stages tasks of the preschool

child; 2) examine the importance of dance and music to preschoolers; and 3) describe the

potential impact of the inclusion of dance and music in a preschoolers’ weekly

curriculum.

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Dance classes allow children the opportunity to take part in fun and exciting

activities that promote positive self-expression, muscle development, regulation of

emotions, effective communication, memory, coping skills, and provides opportunities

for imagination and creativity that children without dance instruction may not have. All

of these areas of development are important when talking about preschool children, and

what they need to learn in order to grow. By incorporating dance and music into a child’s

current curriculum, they are getting to experience different areas of their world that they

will take with them in the future.

CHAPTER THREE

METHODS


dance into a preschool curriculum, and allow them to use these resources to enhance their

classroom-learning environment. This chapter will describe what was done to complete

this creative project, and the challenges that were faced during this process.

Process for Completion

This project was completed in several steps. First, I researched the Indiana

Foundations for children ages 3-5. This document includes foundations in the areas of

English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education/Health, Music, and Visual

Arts. After researching this document, I wanted to adapt music and dance to an existing

preschool curriculum. To do this, I selected the Creative Curriculum, which is informed

by the Indiana Foundations. I created 4 lessons for each of the categories and included

components of music and/or dance in each. I looked at the foundations and decided

which ones I would incorporate into each activity. The goal of this, was to allow children

to get as much out of each activity as possible. I wanted to incorporate many of the

foundations into each activity to give children the opportunity to revisit them at a later

date. In this adapted curriculum, teachers would choose one lesson from each category

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each week for a month. This would allow them to have seven music and/or dance

activities to go along with their regular scheduled theme and lessons for that week.

Children would be able to experience dance and music on a daily basis in all areas of

their day, allowing them to learn and have fun at the same time.

When creating these activities, I wanted to make them teacher friendly. I took into

account how much it might cost, and how much time was needed for each activity. I

wanted to make activities that the teacher would already have resources for, and that

would not take a lot of time. Children often lose interest in something that takes a lot of

time, so I wanted these activities to be exciting, but not take up a lot of time. While

taking these factors into account, I created activities that would keep the child’s interest

for a short amount of time, while incorporating as many foundations as possible.

Challenges

While completing this project, I had a few challenges that I had to overcome. The

first one was creating the different types of lessons. I wanted to do lessons that I could

adapt to include music and/or dance, and at first it was hard finding ones that made this

easy. I began to be able to find a lesson that included relevant foundations and was able

to adapt it to include a dance and/or music component to it.

The second challenge that I faced, was writing directions for a teacher to follow.

Since I have a teaching background, I found these activities easy to understand. With the

guidance of my major professor, I came to realize that not all teachers would have the

background that I have, and may need prompts for the children. This made me realize

that I needed to write these lessons like I was explaining them to someone who had never

25

worked with children and dance and music lessons before. This was tough for me at first,

but I was able to start including these prompts automatically after a couple of lessons.

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS



classroom-learning environment. This chapter will describe the creative project that was

completed, and how to implement it into a preschool classroom.

Finished Project

My creative project is a dance and music curriculum that can be adapted to any

current preschool curriculum. Included in my curriculum, are 4 lessons for each of the

seven areas of development. These include English, Mathematics, Science, Social

Studies, Physical Ed/Health, Music, and Visual Arts. Teachers pick one lesson from each

of these areas once a week. Children will have the opportunities to learn about these areas

while participating in music and dance themed activities. Each lesson is included in the

Appendices.

Students will be able to explore cause and effect, weight, counting, sorting,

patterns, storytelling, and many other components along with the traditional dance and

music component of my curriculum. Teachers can use the Indiana Foundations for

27

children ages 3-5 to assess the children’s development during these lessons. I have

included these foundations in my finished curriculum, along with specific foundations

addressed on each lesson plan. Children will be learning in all aspects of their current

curriculum in this fun and exciting journey though music and dance instruction.

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION



classroom-learning environment. This chapter will describe how my creative project will

be meaningful to preschool children and their teachers, and how the project will add to

the body of knowledge.

Body of Knowledge

The core body of knowledge in the Early Childhood Education field is organized

into seven core components. These include Child Growth and Development, Family and

Community Relationships, Observation and Assessment, Environment and Curriculum,

Health, Safety, and Nutrition, Professionalism and Leadership, and Administration and

Management. These components are essential to the development of children, because it

gives teachers a basis on which to teach their children.

My project will add to this body of knowledge by allowing children to grow and

develop by learning new things while incorporating music and dance into their preschool

curriculum. Children will be able to have conversations about their activities with parents

29

and show excitement for school. By adapting a current curriculum to include music and

dance, the Early Childhood field will have the opportunity to teach children to be excited

about movement while learning about other areas of their world. This body of

knowledge informed the decisions I made while creating this adapted curriculum.

Children benefit from music and dance by growing and developing, allowing them to

learn about their world and apply these concepts in other areas of their lives.

CHAPTER SIX

CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS



classroom-learning environment. This chapter will describe my music and dance

curriculum, as well as what else I could do to help this project add to the Early Childhood

Education body of knowledge.

Summary of Project

My creative project is a dance and music curriculum that can be adapted to any

current preschool curriculum. Included in my curriculum, are 4 lessons for each of the

seven areas of development. These include English, Mathematics, Science, Social

Studies, Physical Ed/Health, Music, and Visual Arts. This curriculum allows teachers to

pick one lesson from each of these areas once a week. Teachers will set up each activity

according to the specifications. They would then implement their activity into their

classroom’s activities for the day. This encourages children to still participate in their

current curriculum, but allows for them to have dance and music lessons incorporated

into their day. Children will have the opportunities to learn in the seven areas listed

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above, while participating in music and dance themed activities. This will allow children

to learn concepts while having fun and learning through music and dance.

Recommendations

While creating this project, I often thought of different things that I could have

done differently. One of these things would have been to implement a few of the lessons

in a local preschool. I believe that having documentation that these activities had been

used before could have made my project more credible. I would have enjoyed watching

the children have fun and learn while participating in one of the lessons that I created. I

am confident however, that teachers will find my curriculum easy to follow and will

become excited to teach their children music and dance in their daily schedules.

Another thing that I would have done differently was looked at themes that

teachers have used before, and incorporated them in this manner. For example, if a

preschool were using the theme of community helpers, I would have incorporated my

activities to fit into this theme for the week. This would have made for more fluidity

throughout the weeks while my curriculum was being used.

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REFERENCES

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Chen, J., & McNamee, G. (2011). Positive approaches to learning in the context of

preschool classroom activities. Early Childhood Education Journal, 39(1), 71-78.

Coe, D., Pivarnik, J., Womack, C., Reeves, M., & Malina, R. (2006). Effect of physical education and activity levels on academic achievement in children. Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 1(1), 1515-1519.

Cole, P., Dennis, T., Smith-Simon, K., & Cohen, L. (2009). Preschoolers' emotional

regulation strategy understanding: relations with emotion socialization and child self-regulation. Journal of Social Development, 18(2), 324-352.

Denac, O. (2008). A case study of preschool children's musical interests at home and at

school. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 439-444. Hadders-Algra, M. (2005). The neuromotor examination of the preschool child and its

prognostic significance. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 11(1), 180-188.

Iakov, N. (2012). Features of mental development and self-development in the preschool child. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology, 50(2), 54-63.

Jeloudar, S. (2011). Exploring the relationship between teachers' social intelligence and classroom discipline strategies. International Journal of Psychological Studies, 3(2), 149-155.

Lobo, Y., & Mason, G. (2006). The effects of a creative dance and movement program on the social competence of head start preschoolers. Social Development Journal, 15(3), 501-519.

Lorenzo-Lasa, R., Ideishi, R., & Ideishi, S. (2007). Facilitating preschool learning and

movement through dance. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(1), 25-31. Lovett, R., Kitterick, P., Huang, S., & Summerfield, A. (2012). The developmental

trajectory of spatial listening skills in normal-hearing children. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 55(1), 865-878.

Lundy, H., & McGuffin, P. (2005). Using dance/movement therapy to augment the

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Oliver, M., Schofield, G., & Kolt, G. (2007). Physical activity in preschoolers:

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Poddiakov, N. (2012). A play-like position, or a play-like attitude toward life, is the most important quality of the preschool child's personality. Journal of Russian and East European Psychology. 50(2), 23-30.

Poddiakov, N. (2011). Searching, experimenting and the heuristic structure of a preschool child's experience. International Journal of Early Years Education, 19(1), 55-63.

Robb, S., Clair, A., Nelson, K., Hanson-Abromeit, D., Lane, D., Hannan, A., et al. (2008). Randomized controlled trial of the active music engagement (AME) intervention on children with cancer. Psycho-Oncology Journal, 17(1), 699-708.

Sacha, T., & Russ, S. (2006). Effects of pretend imagery on learning dance in preschool children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(5), 341-345.

Samuelsson, I., Carlsson, M., Olsson, B., Pramling, N., & Wallersted, C. (2009). The art

of teaching children the arts: music, dance and poetry with children aged 2-8 years old. International Journal of Early Years Education, 17(2), 119-135.

Sylva, K., Taggart, B., Siraj-Blatchford, I., Totsika, V., Ereky-Stevens, K., Gilden, R., et

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Appendix A:

English Lessons

39

Appendix B:

Mathematics Lessons

44

Appendix C:

Science Lessons

49

Appendix D:

Social Studies Lessons

54

Appendix E:

Physical Education/Health Lessons

59

Appendix F:

Music Lessons

64

Appendix G:

Visual Arts Lessons

integrating music and movement into an early …

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